Symptoms of Lead Poisoning and Toxicity

Symptoms of Lead Poisoning - The big news these days is that several large companies are announcing the voluntary recall of millions of toys, jewelry, makeup, glazed pottery and other products containing significant amounts of lead.

While lead poisoning was once caused mainly by old paint, today a new rash of high lead levels is being seen in American kids, caused by foreign products – mainly from China.

So serious is the resurgence of symptoms of lead poisoning among children that the U.S. Department of Public Health is working on writing a new law to require testing of those entering school for the first time. Lead is also hazardous to adult brains – research is beginning to show that low levels of lead affect adult brains as well as those of children.

Highly Recommended: The first thing we recommend for anyone who is experiencing symptoms of lead poisoning toxicity, is to have a hair mineral analysis test done. A hair analysis can determine the amount of toxic lead your body has been excreting over time and what other heavy metals may be overloading your body. The levels of each toxic metal are illustrated in a simple bar graph showing acceptable and unacceptable reference ranges.

The hair analysis also tells you which essential minerals your body is lacking due to lead toxicity, and which important mineral ratios are imbalanced due to heavy metals and other nutritional deficiencies. It also provides valuable insight into your metaoblism and what dietary changes might be most helpful.

We suggest you do a hair analysis before you embark on any type of heavy metal cleansing or detoxification program so that you have a clear baseline to compare results with later on.

To reduce lead in your body, your doctor may recommend chelation therapy. Chelation therapy consists of receiving a chemical chelating agent, usually DMPS or DMSA.

Chelating agents are substances that go through the body to attract and bind heavy metals to be excreted. Chelating agents are usually given in pill form but may also be given intravenously, by suppository or by injection. It takes anywhere from many months to several years for chelation therapy to remove toxic metals, and can cost several hundred to several thousand dollars.

Though chelation therapy has been considered to be generally safe for most people, new information has surfaced that suggests these substances may not be as benign as once believed. The chelating agents used by the medical profession are drugs and do have side effects, sometimes severe ones.

Two of the most important factors in determining chelation safety are dosage and frequency. Too much can be extremely dangerous, and too little is ineffective. Respected toxicologists have stated that synthetic chelators should be used only in cases of acute metal poisoning, or as a last resort when other methods have been exhausted. Natural methods should be tried first.

Natural chelating agents include combinations of herbs, amino acids and other nutritional supplements. The drawback to most of these is the time it takes to really clear the body of toxic metals and chemicals. For instance, certain toxic elements can be removed by taking specific combinations of minerals and vitamins. For example, a daily regimen of six magnesium oxide tablets plus one teaspoon of calcium/magnesium powder taken with fresh lemon juice is said to rid the body of arsenic - eventually. But at this rate, it could take years to clear all the chemicals and metals from the body.

For a closer look at conventional chelators used by the medical profession, please click here.

Tests that help to diagnose metal and chemical toxicity include blood tests, urine tests, and the analysis of hair, nails or other tissues. The most accurate of these are a chelation challenge test or ahair mineral analysis.

Regular blood tests and urine tests are not accurate in diagnosing heavy metal toxicity, as they only tend to show what is happening in the body at that brief moment in time, and do not give the long-term picture.

This makes sense since the body works hard to keep the levels of nutrients in the bloodstream within fairly tight limits. If large fluctuations in mineral levels occurred, serious illness or even death would result.

A chelation challenge test needs to be performed by a doctor who specializes in chelation therapy. The patient is given a chelating drug, commonly DMPS or DMSA, and the patient's urine is collected and analyzed over a 24 hour period. This test is a highly accurate way of knowing just what heavy metals are present in the body.

The drawbacks to this method are that it requires a visit to a health care professional's office, it is expensive, and there is a possibility of side effects to the chelating drugs.

A hair mineral analysis is an excellent alternative way of determining what toxic metals are present in the body. In addition, it also measures the levels of essential minerals in the body, such as calcium, magnesium and zinc, and toxic metal and mineral ratios. This test can provide you with much-needed information about mineral deficiencies and imbalances in your body, especially if you're suffering from symptoms of heavy metal poisoning.

Hair Tissue Mineral Analyses (HTMA)

A hair tissue mineral analysis provides a unique reading of heavy metal and mineral levels in the cells over a two to three month period. It takes into consideration that toxins are stored in the tissues of the body, not in the blood. For instance, you can have normal copper levels in the blood, but high copper levels in the tissues.

The reason hair is used for testing mineral status and metabolic activity is because of its very nature. Our hair is formed from clusters of specialized cells that make up the hair follicle. During the growth phase, the hair is exposed to the internal environment such as blood, lymph and extra-cellular fluids.

As the hair continues to grow and reaches the surface of the skin, its outer layers harden, locking in the metabolic products accumulated during the period of formation. This biological processs provides a blueprint and lasting record of metal content and nutritional metabolic activity that has occured during this time.

The precise analytical method of determining the levels of minerals in the hair is a highly sophisticated technique: when performed to exacting standards and interpreted correctly, it may be used as a screening aid for determining mineral deficiencies, excesses, and/or imbalances. HTMA provides you and your healthcare professional with an economical and sensitive indicator of the long-term effects of diet, stress, toxic metal exposure and their effects on your mineral balance that is difficult to obtain through other clinical tests.

It is important for the attending healthcare professional to determine your mineral status as minerals are absolutely critical for life and abundant health. They are involved in and are necessary for cellular metabolism, structural support, nerve conduction, muscular activity, immune functions, anti-oxidant and endocrine activity, enzyme functions, water and acid/alkaline balance and even DNA function.

Many factors can affect mineral nutrition, such as: food preparation, dietary habits, genetic and metabolic disorders, disease, medications, stress, environmental factors, as well as exposure to heavy metals. Rarely does a single nutrient deficiency exist in a person today. Multiple nutritional imbalances however are quite common, contributing to an increased incidence of adverse health conditions. In fact, it is estimated that mild and sub-clinical nutritional imbalances are up to ten times more common than nutritional deficiency alone.

To get an idea of how helpful a hair tissue analysis can be, think about this: Researchers using tissue mineral analysis determined, more than 100 years after Napoloen Bonaparte's death, that he had been poisoned by arsenic. Even though his hair sample was tested more than a century after his death, it still revealed pathological amounts of arsenic that had gradually proved fatal.

Introducing the Comprehensive
Hair Analysis by Trace Elements, Inc

A hair analysis usually needs to be obtained through a health care professional (which can be expensive). However, we offer a service that allows you to get a comprehensive hair tissue mineral analysis from a federally licensed laboratory called Trace Elements, Inc.

It also includes a metabolic profile, recommendations for diet and supplements based on individual results.

Unlike some labs that test hair tissue analysis, Trace Elements, Inc. does not wash the hair at the lab. Washing the hair removes some of the loosely bound minerals and can reduce some mineral readings by 50 percent or more. The hair sample is prepared in their licensed clinical laboratory by using a series of chemical and high temperature digestive procedures. Testing is then performed using highly sophisticated detection equipment and methods to achieve the most accurate and precise results.

The Comprehensive Hair Tissue Analysis report details graph results for 8 toxic heavy metals/elements, 15 nutritional minerals/elements, 15 additional elements, 7 significant mineral ratios, and 9 toxic metal ratios. Once you purchase the hair analysis from us, we send you a hair sample kit with instructions on how to take the hair sample.

Nutritional Elements: Extensively studied, the nutrient elements have been well defined and are considered essential for many biological functions in the human body. They play key roles in such metabolic processes such as muscular activity, endocrine function, reproduction, skeletal integrity, and overall development.

Toxic Elements: The toxic elements or "heavy metals" are well-known for their interference upon normal biochemical function. They are commonly found in the environment and therefore are present to some degree, in all biological systems. However, these metals clearly pose a concern for toxicity when accumulation occurs to excess.

Additional Elements: These elements are considered as possibly essential by the human body. Additional studies are being conducted to better define their requirements.

Significant Ratios: If the synergistic relationship (or ratio) between certain minerals in the body is disturbed, studies show that normal biological functions and metabolic activity can be adversely affected. Even at extremely low concentrations, the synergistic and/or antagonistic relationships between minerals still exist, which can indirectly affect metabolism.

Toxic Ratios: It is important to note that individuals with elevated toxic levels may not always exhibit clinical symptoms associated with those particular toxic minerals. However, research has shown that toxic minerals/metals can also produce an antagonistic effeect on various essential minerals, eventually leading to distrubances in their metabolic utilization.

For a complete overview of the various sections covered in the Comprehensive Hair Analysis report, please click here.

Once you purchase the hair analysis from us, we send you a hair sample kit with instructions on how to take the hair sample. You then send the hair sample to the Trace Elements lab, and the lab sends us the detailed report/results, which we then mail to you. (Please note: international customers outside of the United States will be instructed to send the hair sample to us, not directly to the lab).

The following detoxification products can be a safe alternative to traditional chelators used in chelation therapy for removing heavy metals and chemical pollutants.

Purified Bentonite Bathing Clay for Detoxifying Metals and Chemicals

Sodium bentonite clay can be a very simple and effective way to remove heavy metals and chemical contaminants from the surface tissue of the body.

When you mix bentonite clay with water, it creates a large negatively charged surface area. When the body is in a tub of warm water, the warm water opens up the pores of the skin, and the positively charged toxic particles are drawn through the pores of the skin, to be absorbed by the clay.

Most chemical and metal toxins have a postive charge, whereas the clay has a negative charge. Thus, the toxins cannot resist being drawn towards the clay. Bentonite clay has a great capacity for absorbing many times its own weight in toxins. In other words, clay baths have been shown to literally pull pollutants out through the skin, getting rid of many months and years of toxic accumulations.

It is important that you find a clay that has been purified, so it contains no mold, yeast, bacteria or fungus. Also, it helps to use a clay that mixes well and disperses easily with warm water to get maximum effectiveness. Some clays do not mix well in the tub, leaving you with a cumbersome and messy clean-up.

EDTA is a chelating agent that can bind free metal ions that circulate in the blood stream. Traditional EDTA treatment for chelation has involved giving it to patients intraveneously. However, more recently, there has been a German-patented formula that utilizes a very dilute amount of EDTA so that now side effects are experienced and it can be used at home without doctor's supervision. The active ingredients in this formula set up shop in the gastrointestinal tract where through the Law of Isotonicity, metal ions are dumped into the bloodstream (over time) and then excreted safely out of the body through the urine and stool.

Glutathione - Another Important Detoxifier

Glutathione is a short string of amino acids called a peptide. It is composed of three amino acids: glycine, glutamine and cysteine.

Glutathione is a major player in detoxifying the body of many toxic pollutants, including toxic metals and chemicals. Glutathione deficiency impairs the body's ability to get rid of toxins whether they are environmental or the by-products of cellular metabolism. If we have low glutathione levels we slowly become toxic, storing away poisons in our tissues, organs, muscles and brain. We simply cannot detoxify effectively if our glutathione levels are too low, no matter what form of detoxification we undertake.

Glutathione is made by all the cells in the body, and is the body’s master antioxidant and detoxifying agent. In one review, almost 80% of people with chronic ailments were found to be deficient in glutathione. In fact, low levels of glutathione are involved in all disease states.

Why? – because the heavier the cumulative toxic burden on the body, the greater this depletes supplies of glutathione. For example: One molecule of mercury uses up one molecule of glutathione. Since all chronic, degenerative disorders are triggered, in part, by the toxic load, it is small wonder to see why glutathione levels are such an important marker.

Glutathione is a supplement that is extremely difficult to absorb. Most oral supplements are worthless, because the digestive tract destroys the nutrient before it can be absorbed.

Supplements such as NAC can help your body make more glutathione, but the effect is mild. This is why intravenous therapy was once considered to be the only therapy that really works.

According to Dr. Marcus Laux, it is important to find an oral glutathione supplement that your body can truly absorb. It survives the trip through your intestines because the glutathione is contained in microscopic little pouches called liposomes. Thus, the glutathione enters your bloodstream intact. According to Dr. Laux, liposomes were recently tested in rigorous scientific studies, and were found to have an amazing 90% absorption rate. That’s comparable to intravenous glutathione therapy, for a fraction of the cost.

A cell culture study was conducted on glutathione at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School by Gail Zeevalk, PhD. The study showed the neuro-protective nature of the glutathione from damage due to the known neuro-toxicants maneb (fungicide) and paraquat (herbicide).

Introducing The Thermal Life® FAR
Infrared (FIR) Sauna

Take Advantage of the Special $500 Discount Offer Mentioned Below!

The Infrared Sauna has an excellent reputation for detoxifying both metal and chemical contaminants from the body. It is an excellent therapy on its own or as an adjunct to other natural methods of detoxification.

Proper FAR infrared sauna therapy can be supportive for:

Detoxification

Enhanced Immune System Health

Improved Cardiovascular Health

Stress Releif

Weight and Cellulite Management

Pain Relief

Skin Beautification

FAR infrared saunas help to accomplish detoxification in the following manner: A layer of fat and oil exists just below the surface of the skin. The FAR infrared light resonates with the water molecules within these lipid or fat cells.

This vigorous activation of the water molecule stimulates the fat cells to excrete toxins. These toxins will be released through the skin's sweat channels as a result of the high temperature from the sauna. As sweat and oil are secreted, the toxins dissolved in them are secreted as well. By excreting these toxins and then washing them off your body, the toxic load on the body is lowered and cellular health improves.

Oil glands help remove oil-soluble toxins that the body would otherwise have a difficult time eliminating. We have created a world filled with oil-soluble toxins such as gasoline, solvents, pesticides, ingredients in toothpaste, personal care products, etc., which the body is not able to dispose of efficiently. The longer the skin is heated, the more oil-soluble toxins are eliminated.

No other sauna company that we know of knows as much about detoxification as High Tech Health, Inc. Their specialty is providing saunas that detoxify safely and effectively. Their Thermal Life® Sauna is designed to allow anyone to detoxify at a rate that is appropriate for them.

Bio-Resonance™ Heaters

The Thermal Life® Sauna utilizes specially designed Bio-Resonance™ ceramic heaters that provide the optimal level of far infrared exposure no matter where you are in your detoxification process. A special feature of the Bio-Resonance heater is the nature of the far infrared rays that is emits. FAR infrared is a band of electromagnetic energy, just as visible light and ultraviolet light are.

The difference between visible light and far infrared is that we cannot see far infrared. FAR infrared affects the body differently than ultraviolet or near infrared light. Heat lamps emit near infrared which is only absorbed by the surface of the skin. FAR, on the other hand, is absorbed into the body up to a depth of 1 and half inches. It is experienced as a softer heat sensation which is quite enjoyable.

FAR infrared rays also stimulate the production of endorphins, the "happy hormones", and have been prescribed for pain for a long time. Bio-Resonance heating technology ensures an enjoyable, detoxifying experience.

Comparing Ceramic to Carbon Heaters in FIRS

Hight Tech Health (HTH) researched "carbon heater" technology and found it to be significantly inferior to their trademarked BioResonance® emitters because carbon heaters are inefficient and poor emitters of far infrared waves. If the emitters don't produce good far infrared, then the detoxification effect is diminished. HTH emitters are alloy tubes filled with solid ceramic . The ceramic material is warmed to the temperature range where it emits the highest quality and quantity of FIR waves. (between 6-20 microns).

The surgical grade stainless steel reflectors behind the emitters reflect back into the cabin any FIR emitted from the rear of the emitters. This way, the cabin is completely filled with 100% FIR waves and none are lost into the walls of the sauna. Carbon emitters because of their poor design and emission, lose close to 50% of what little far infrared they do emit through the back walls, because there is nothing to reflect the waves back into the center of the sauna cabin.

Carbon emitters are large thin plastic or fiberglass panels with a thin layer of carbon material sandwiched in between, or lined with fabric with carbon fibers woven into the fabric, then laminated onto the panels with a wire grid behind them to heat them up. They are made large to compensate for the extreme inefficiency of far infrared light production. They take 40-45 minutes to warm up to the point where you can even get into the sauna vs. our saunas which are warm and ready to use in 10-15 minutes.

High Tech Health will not put plastic or fiberglass into their saunas because of concerns regarding possible out-gassing of chemical compounds from these panels. These types of saunas are primarily marketed for recreational use.
Another downside to carbon heaters is because of their large panel size, they produce fairly strong electromagnetic fields. HTH heaters emit extremely low levels of EMF's, about 2-4 milligauss, which is equivalent to sitting next to a reading lamp.

Carbon heaters are inexpensive to construct. They don't tend to have a long life, and can burn out in 5-6 years. HTH has never had to replace a single heater in the 14 years of selling the Thermal Life saunas. It is by far, the most durable, energy efficient and long lasting technology in the industry.

The most important four points in buying a far infrared sauna in regards to the heater technology used are:

Strength of Infrared – is the heater effective in promoting detoxification?

Energy Efficiency

Durability / Long lasting

Warm-up time

Besides linking to their site in the below-mentioned link, you can call them directly (recommended) at 800-794-5355 or 303-413-8500 and speak to one of their knowledgeable product specialists.

By mentioning our website Evenbetterhealth.com, you will receive the discount when you place the order from them. As well, High Tech Health offers a 30 day money-back satisfaction guarantee, so you can try it risk free. They also offer a lifetime warranty against defects in workmanship of the cabin, the heaters, and the electrical components.

Being both water and fat soluble, R-lipoic acid passes the blodd-brain barrier and has been shown to chelate metals
like mercury that can attach to fatty cellls and brain neurons. It has also been shown to help decrease metals from the liver as well.

R-lipoic acid also extends the life of other antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and CoQ10 in the body. This is important because a heavy metal load creates more free radical activity. The longer an antioxidant can scavenge these free radicals, the less the "detox cleansing" reaction may last.

There are two forms of alpha-lipoic acid, an S-form and an R-form. Researchers believe that R-Form may be "up to 12 times more effective" than regular alpha lipoic acid which contains a synthetic by-product.

Additional
Supportive Products
Helpful for Symptoms of Lead
Poisoning Incude:

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, in large doses, (at least 2000 mg daily) acts as a chelating agent. An antioxidant in its own right, vitamin C also helps to protect us from heavy metals, particularly lead and arsenic which can
poison certain enzyme reactions in your body.

It is also used to protect us from the effects of environmental pollution and is a free radical
fighter.

The use of Vitamin C is one of the most effective methods for raising cellular glutathione levels. Glutathione is the cell's master
detoxification agent.

Vitamin C helps to lower toxic metal levels as well as elevate calcium and magnesium levels, minerals that are essential for the body, and are often depleted in a toxic terrain.

Vitamin E

In combination with vitamin C, vitamin E is a traditional chelating agent used for assiting in heavy metal detox.

Vitamin E is a very potent antioxidant that protects the body from free radical
damage and oxidation. This is important during chelation because a heavy metal burden in the tissue
and bones creates oxidative stress on cell membranes and a general inflammatory condition. Vitamin E has also been shown to help
chelate heavy metals such as mercury.

It is important to use a vitamin that is devoid of all fillers or additives, and provides 400 IU of d-alpha tocopherol and is extra-high in the total tocopherol complex, especially d-gamma tocopherol.

Vitamins C & E Together

Together, these supplements enhance each other's effectiveness as a chelating agent. The combination of the two not only
inhibit the free radical activity that increases while carrying a heavy metal burden, the presence of one prolongs the presence of the other.

This makes the two vitamins a great combination during the chelation process. Suggested uses vary, but 4,000 - 5,000 mg of Vitamin C
and 600 IU of Vitamin E per day is generally considered to be therapeutic in nature.

Sources and Causes of Lead Poisoning Toxicity

We are exposed to lead in various ways: particles of lead can be inhaled or swallowed. They can be found in the air, in our water, in our food, and in our yards. Although lead is no longer used in the US in paint, gasoline, water pipes and ceramics, lead-based products still exist.

Lead-based paint in older homes and lead-contaminated house dust are still the most common sources of lead poisoning. Lead can sometimes be found in the drinking water of older homes that used lead in the plumbing.

Lead on toys and jewelry is only risky if the child mouths the objects, chews on them, or uses them for teething. However, children who frequently put their hands in their mouths (which is almost all children), can be at risk after handling lead-contaminated objects.

The following is a list of the most common sources for lead:

Air pollution

Automobile exhause

Canned fruit juices

Car batteries

Ceramics

Crayons

Dyes

Hair coloring

Insecticides

Lead based paint

Leaded Gasoline

Mascara

Old plumbing

Pottery

Scrap metal

Smelting of lead

Soil

Textiles

Tobacco smoke

Water pollution

Signs and Symptoms of Lead Poisoning Toxicity

Lead poisoning may be hard to detect because most lead exposure is asymptomatic, meaning there are no symptoms at all. Lead accumulation in the body is gradual, however any amount of lead in the body is hazardous to brain development.

At higher levels of exposure, signs and symptoms of lead poisoning include:

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